In the 1950s, Johnson sang and played with blues artists Magic Sam, Billy Boy Arnold, Junior Wells and Howlin' Wolf, before recording with Jimmy Reed for Vee-Jay in 1959. He made his solo debut that same year with Federal, a subsidiary of King Records of Cincinnati, backed by Freddie King on guitar.
He then began recording for Twinight Records of Chicago in the mid 1960s. Beginning with his first hit, Come On Sock It to Me in 1967, Johnson dominated the label as both a hitmaker and producer. His song Different Strokes, also from 1967, featured recently on the Ultimate Breaks and Beats breakbeat compilation.
Like other black songwriters of the period, several of his records at this time explored themes of African-American identity and social problems in songs including Is It Because I'm Black, which reached Number 11 in the R&B charts in 1969.
In 1971, Willie Mitchell brought Johnson to Hi Records, for whom he recorded three albums and a number of singles. Produced in Memphis with the Hi house band, these yielded music of power and enduring value, including the hits We Did It, Back for a Taste of Your Love and Take Me to the River, his biggest success, reaching Number 7 on the R&B charts in 1975. However, at Hi Johnson was always to some extent in Al Green's shadow commercially, if not artistically.
After the Hi years ended, Johnson produced two LPs for his own Shama label, the latter of which (Ms. Fine Brown Frame, 1982) was picked up for distribution by Boardwalk Records and produced Johnson's last hit record, the title cut.
Around the mid-eighies, Johnson started a fast-food fish restaurant business, and became semi-retired from performing, only making occasional appearances at blues club gigs.
In 1992, Johnson found out that his classic song "Different Strokes" have been sampled by number of rappers including Wu-Tang Clan, Hammer, and the Ghetto Boys. Stimulated by this fact, he decided to make a come back in the music business. In 1994, he released the album Back in the Game on Delmark Records. The album featured the the Hi rhythm section and his youngest daughter Syleena Johnson.
Blues guitarist and singer Jimmy Johnson, and bassist Mack Thompson, are his brothers.
Concrete Reservation
Syl Johnson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Woman crying 'cause her child got lost somewhere
The neighbors upstairs had a fight
They had a fight
'Cause someone's old lady stayed out too late last night
Hey!
Here (in the ghetto) it's just a bad situation
Here (in the ghetto) it's just a bad situation
Call it what you wanna, it's just a concrete reservation (concrete reservation)
At night I can't hardly sleep, y'all
There's always a baby crying that lives across the hall
Last night they had a fire on the fifteenth floor
On the fifteenth floor
The whole family died, 'cause they didn't have no back door
Here (in the ghetto) it's just a bad situation
Call it what you wanna, it's just a concrete reservation
Here (in the ghetto) it's just a bad situation
Call it what you wanna, it's just a concrete reservation (concrete resevertion)
Here it's just a bad situation
Call it what you wanna, it's just a concrete reservation (in the ghetto)
Ooh-ooh (in the ghetto)
Ooh-ooh (in the ghetto)
Oh-ohh (in the ghetto)
Here... (in the ghetto)
Here... (in the ghetto)
It's just a bad situation...
The song "Concrete Reservation" by Syl Johnson depicts the hardships and struggles of living in a poverty-stricken neighborhood, particularly in the ghetto. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the hopelessness and despair that exists in such a community. The opening lines describe a "funky smell" in the midnight air, accompanied by the sound of a woman crying because her child is missing. The rough living conditions are further highlighted by the description of a domestic dispute between neighbors because one of the women stayed out too late. The lyrics show that violence and unrest are common occurrences in the ghetto, and people are constantly struggling to survive.
The second verse details the deprivation of basic necessities in the neighborhood. The singer describes the sleepless nights caused by a crying baby from across the hall. The song then takes a more tragic turn, telling the story of a family who died in a fire because they did not have a back door, highlighting the lack of safety and basic infrastructure in the community. Throughout the song, Johnson repeats the phrase "concrete reservation," emphasizing the idea that people living in the ghetto are confined to an area with limited opportunities for advancement or improvement.
Line by Line Meaning
Funky smell in the midnight air
The air stinks at night due to poor sanitation and other unsanitary conditions.
Woman crying 'cause her child got lost somewhere
A woman is distraught because her child is missing and might be in danger.
The neighbors upstairs had a fight
The people living above are arguing loudly, disturbing the peace and causing tension.
They had a fight
The argument was intense and possibly violent, causing further distress.
'Cause someone's old lady stayed out too late last night
The neighbors were fighting because one person's significant other was out late, causing suspicion and resentment.
Here (in the ghetto) it's just a bad situation
The living conditions in this impoverished area are poor and difficult to bear.
Call it what you wanna, it's just a concrete reservation
Despite any attempt to dress it up or deny the reality, the neighborhood is little more than a prison-like area surrounded by concrete.
At night I can't hardly sleep, y'all
The conditions are so bad and the noise level so high that it's difficult to get restful sleep.
There's always a baby crying that lives across the hall
There's a baby constantly crying, likely due to the dire circumstances in which they're being raised.
Last night they had a fire on the fifteenth floor
There was a fire in the building, putting many lives at risk.
The whole family died, 'cause they didn't have no back door
The family was killed by the fire because they were unable to escape due to a lack of proper exits.
Ooh-ooh (in the ghetto)
This phrase is repeated as a lament for the difficult living conditions in the impoverished area.
Oh-ohh (in the ghetto)
Another mournful repetition of the same phrase.
Here... (in the ghetto)
The focus is drawn back to the specific area being discussed as the source of all this hardship.
It's just a bad situation...
A simple acknowledgment of the reality of the situation, that things are tough and getting by is a struggle.
Writer(s): J. Jones
Contributed by Charlie T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
pandoreman
Scientifically talking, this great Syl's piece of music should have been part of those sent across the universe .
Dean Xavier
@Musa Finnley yup, been using InstaFlixxer for months myself =)
Musa Finnley
dunno if you guys gives a shit but if you are bored like me atm then you can stream all the latest movies and series on Instaflixxer. Have been streaming with my brother during the lockdown =)
pandoreman
Most underrated soul artist ever...
elvispreseli
Tuff tune! many thanks for uploading. He's playing in NY City this month!!
Angel H.
just wonderful , i love this song
dvsn23
@cool rule good call! that beat was bananas, whole album really. this jam is awesome too.
FalconUruguay
RIP Mr. Johnson...you and your music will be missed! (Feb. 6, 2022)
reuireuiop0
Another monster by the keeper of No 1 spot of unsung Soul Heroes
Byron Woods
Great song!